In a major development concerning the ongoing probe in the multi-crore Saradha scam the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Rajat Majumdar the former Director General of West Bengal Police.
Confirming this, a senior CBI official told The Hindu that Mr Majumdar will be produced before a court on Wednesday.
Considered close to the All India Trinamool Congress ( AITC), Mr Majumdar, former DGP (Armed Police), was associated with the Saradha Group as its security advisor. His house was searched by the CBI on August 14.
During the day, he was called for questioning at the CBI office in Salt Lake and later arrested.
Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh, who is behind bars for his alleged involvement in the scam since November 2013, had alleged that the retired police officer had taken money from the Saradha Group chairman and managing director, Sudipta Sen.
Mr Sen had told interrogators that Mr Majumdar took several crore of rupees as the key organiser of the Saradha- sponsored ‘Banga Sammelan’, a three-day programme by non-resident Bengalis in Las Vegas in 2012.
This is the third major arrest by the central agency after taking over investigation since May 2014. The CBI has also arrested East Bengal club official Debabrata Sarkar and city based businessman Sandhir Agarwal in connection with the scam.
